Articles and Methods of Manufacture of Articles

ABSTRACT

Various articles, such as footwear, apparel, athletic equipment, watchbands, and the like, and methods of forming those articles are presented. The articles are generally formed, in whole or in part, using rapid manufacturing techniques, such as laser sintering, stereolithography, solid deposition modeling, and the like. The use of rapid manufacturing allows for relatively economical and time efficient manufacture of customized articles. The articles may include one or more reinforcements configured to provide added durability to various regions of the articles. In addition, the articles may be formed from two or more materials in a single rapid manufacturing process. The rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique may also include using of varying intensities of the laser to fuse material to form the articles.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is (a) a continuation of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/433,097, filed Apr. 30, 2009 and entitled“Articles and Methods of Manufacture of Articles,” which application is(b) a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/255,496, filed Oct. 21, 2008 and entitled “Articles and Methods ofManufacture of Articles,” now U.S. Pat. No. 9,572,402 B2 issued Feb. 21,2017. Each of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/433,097 and U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/255,496 is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to wearable articles and methods forthe manufacture of these articles. More particularly, aspects of thisinvention relate to articles of footwear, and portions thereof, formedusing rapid manufacturing additive fabrication techniques.

BACKGROUND

Various manufacturing processes exist to form a variety of manufacturedarticles, such as articles of footwear, apparel, athletic equipment, andthe like. For example, a midsole for an article of footwear may bemanufactured using one of a number of commonly used molding techniques,such as injection molding, blow molding, compression molding, vacuummolding, and the like. These molding methods often require expensivemolding equipment that allows little room for variation in the articlesproduced from the mold. For instance, any change to the design of themolded article generally would require the creation of a new mold. Thesemanufacturing methods generally required a costly retooling anytime achange was made to the molded article design. In addition, moldingprocesses often result in material waste as some material may be trimmedfrom the molded article in a post-manufacturing processing step.

In addition, conventional molding and article manufacturing methodsoften leave little or no ability to customize the article, such as anarticle of footwear, to the particular needs or desires of the wearer.That is, conventional articles of footwear, apparel, athletic equipment,etc. are often mass produced. While some articles are produced invarying sizes, articles are rarely manufactured to the specifications ofone particular user.

Further, articles, such as articles of footwear, have regions prone towear, such as flex regions, high stress regions, etc. Early wear inthese regions can cut short the useful life of the product while otherareas of the product continue to be capable of functioning at a highlevel in the intended manner.

SUMMARY

The following presents a general summary of aspects of the invention inorder to provide a basic understanding of the invention and variousfeatures of it. This summary is not intended to limit the scope of theinvention in any way, but it simply provides a general overview andcontext for the more detailed description that follows.

Aspects of this invention relate to articles, such as articles offootwear, that include reinforcing regions. The articles of footwear (orportions thereof) may be formed using conventional techniques andmaterials and/or the articles of footwear (or portions thereof) may beformed using rapid prototyping techniques. The reinforcing regions maybe formed as a portion of the shoe during fabrication of the shoe or maybe formed separately and connected to the shoe using known means ofattachment, such as adhesives, stitching, mechanical fasteners, and thelike.

Additional aspects of the invention relate to various midsole impactattenuating configurations that may be formed using one or more rapidmanufacturing additive fabrication techniques. For instance, a midsolemay include a plurality of apertures that correspond to projections onan insole. The midsole and insole combination provide additional impactattenuation and the arrangement of the apertures and projections may becustomized based on the specifications, desires, etc. of the wearer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention and certainadvantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the followingdetailed description in consideration with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 generally illustrates a side view of an example article offootwear formed according to this invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of an example article of footwear havingreinforced regions formed according to aspects of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of another example article of footwear havingreinforced regions formed according to aspects of this invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of still another example article of footwearhaving reinforced regions formed according to aspects of this invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of example article of footwear, portions of thearticle of footwear being formed from different materials according toaspects of this invention.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are top and cross section views, respectively, of amidsole impact force attenuation system having corresponding aperturesand projections and formed according to aspects of this invention.

FIG. 7 is an example airbag impact attenuating system formed accordingto aspects of this invention.

The reader is advised that the attached drawings are not necessarilydrawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description of various example structures in accordancewith the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings,which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustrationvarious example articles and methods for manufacturing these articles,such as footwear, watchbands, apparel, athletic equipment, and the like.Additionally, it is to be understood that other specific arrangements ofparts and structures may be utilized, and structural and functionalmodifications may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention. Also, while the terms “top,” “bottom,” “front,”“back,” “rear,” “side,” and the like may be used in this specificationto describe various example features and elements of the invention,these terms are used herein as a matter of convenience, e.g., based onthe example orientations shown in the figures and/or the orientations intypical use. Nothing in this specification should be construed asrequiring a specific three dimensional or spatial orientation ofstructures in order to fall within the scope of this invention. Further,the invention will generally be described in accordance with an articleof footwear and method of manufacturing an article of footwear. However,the invention may be used in production of a variety of articles.

A. General Description of Articles, Such as Footwear, According toExamples of the Invention

In general, as described above, aspects of this invention relate toarticles, such as footwear, watchbands, articles of apparel, athleticequipment, and the like. In addition, aspects of this invention relateto methods of manufacturing such articles. More detailed descriptions ofaspects of this invention follow.

1. Example Articles, Such as Articles of Footwear, According to theInvention

One aspect of this invention relates to articles, such as articles offootwear. Such articles of footwear may include, for example, an upperand a sole structure engaged with the upper. In at least some examples,the upper and/or sole structure may be formed using rapid manufacturingtechniques, such as laser sintering, solid deposition modeling,stereolithography, and the like. The upper may include reinforcementportions configured to provide additional durability, wear resistance,etc., in areas of the upper that may be prone to tearing, wear, flex,and the like. The reinforcement portions may be formed of conventionalmaterials and manufacturing processes, for instance, non-rapidmanufacturing additive fabrication techniques, or they may be formedusing one or more rapid manufacturing additive fabrication techniques.The reinforcement portions may be connected to the upper using knownmeans of attachment, such as stitching, adhesives, and the like.

In other examples, portions of the rapid manufactured upper and/or solestructure of the article of footwear may be formed of differentmaterials to provide different mechanical characteristics to differentregions of the shoe. For instance, flexible regions may be formed of afirst material having properties associated with flexibility to enableflexing of the shoe, while supportive regions, such as an ankle region,may be formed of a second material having properties associated withstiffness and support. In at least some products in accordance with thisinvention, the various portions of the shoe may be formed in a singlerapid manufacturing process.

In still other examples, portions of the rapid manufactured upper and/orsole structure of the article of footwear may be formed from materialfused with varying laser intensities in order to provide differentmechanical characteristics to different regions of the shoe. Forinstance, regions in which greater hardness is desired, such as aneyelet region, may receive a higher intensity laser than regions inwhich flexibility is desired, such as the toe region. Laser radiationintensity may be varied, for example, by altering the laser power, thelaser scanning speed, or the laser beam spot size.

Specific examples of the invention are described in more detail below.The reader should understand that these specific examples are set forthmerely to illustrate examples of the invention, and they should not beconstrued as limiting the invention.

B. Specific Examples of the Invention

FIG. 1 generally illustrates an example article of footwear 100 formedaccording to aspects of the invention. The article of footwear 100includes an upper 102 and a sole structure 104. For purposes ofreference in the following material, footwear 100 may be divided intothree general regions: a forefoot or toe region 111, a midfoot region112, and a heel region 113, as illustrated in FIG. 1. In addition,footwear 100 includes two sides: lateral side 114 and medial side (notshown). Lateral side 114 is positioned to extend along the lateral(outside) side of the foot and generally passes through each of regions111-113. Similarly, the medial side is positioned to extend along anopposite medial (inside) side of the foot and generally passes througheach of regions 111-113. Regions 111-113 and medial and lateral sidesare not intended to demarcate precise areas of footwear 100. Rather,regions 111-113 and medial and lateral sides are intended to representgeneral areas of footwear 100 that provide a frame of reference duringthe following discussion.

Generally, upper 102 is secured to sole structure 104 and defines acavity for receiving a foot. Access to the cavity is provided by anankle opening 106 located in heel region 113. A lace 108 extends throughvarious apertures in upper 102. Lace 108 may be utilized in aconventional manner to selectively increase a size of ankle opening 106and to modify certain dimensions of upper 102, particularly girth, toaccommodate feet with varying dimensions. Various materials are suitablefor use in manufacturing a conventional upper. Those materials used inconventional uppers include leather, synthetic leather, rubber,textiles, and polymer foams, for example, that are stitched oradhesively bonded together. The specific materials utilized for upper102 may be selected to impart wear-resistance, flexibility,air-permeability, moisture control, and comfort. In some conventionalarrangements, different materials may be incorporated into differentareas of upper 102 in order to impart specific properties to thoseareas. Furthermore, the materials may be layered in order to provide acombination of properties to specific areas. In accordance with aspectsof this invention, the upper 102 may be formed using a rapidmanufacturing additive fabrication technique from suitable materials,such as a thermoplastic elastomer, and may include variousreinforcements formed using conventional methods, as well as by usingrapid manufacturing additive fabrication techniques, as will bediscussed more fully below.

Sole structure 104 is secured to a lower surface of upper 102 andincludes an outsole 120 and a midsole 122. Outsole 120 forms aground-engaging surface of sole structure 104 and is formed of adurable, wear-resistant material. Conventional sole structures may beformed of rubber that is textured to enhance traction. In accordancewith aspects of this invention, the outsole 120 and/or midsole 122 maybe formed, using a rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique,of a thermoplastic elastomer, as will be discussed more fully below. Insome embodiments, outsole 120 may be integrally formed with midsole 122or may be a lower surface of midsole 122. Some conventional midsoles areprimarily formed of a polymer foam material, such as polyurethane orethylvinylacetate, that forms a foam core type impact force attenuationsystem in the midsole 122. Other conventional midsoles may include acolumn type midsole impact force attenuation system, such as the oneshown in FIG. 1. Additional midsole impact force attenuation types areavailable for use in conventional midsoles, including an air bag typeimpact force attenuation system. These various impact force attenuationsystems, including column type, foam core, air bag, and the like (or atleast portions thereof), may also be manufactured using rapidmanufacturing techniques and associated materials in accordance withaspects of this invention, as will be discussed more fully below.

Conventional articles of footwear are generally formed from a variety ofdifferent types of materials and a variety of different manufacturingprocesses. In some arrangements, the upper and sole structure aregenerally formed as separate pieces and then are joined in apost-manufacture processing step. In forming the upper, a plurality ofupper portions may be formed or cut, using conventional methods, andthen are connected to each other. The upper portions may be connected byany known means such as stitching, adhesives, mechanical fasteners, andthe like. This process often generates a substantial amount of wasteassociated with trimming each of the individual pieces of the upper tobe the correct shape and size for that particular upper or portion ofthe upper.

In addition to forming articles of footwear using conventionalmanufacturing techniques, the articles of footwear, or portions thereof,may be formed using rapid manufacturing additive fabrication techniques,such as laser sintering, stereolithography, solid deposition modeling,and the like. Rapid manufacturing fabrication techniques involvecreating a three-dimensional design in a data file, such as a ComputerAided Design (CAD) file, and building the object of thethree-dimensional design in an automated layer by layer process.Essentially, the fabrication equipment reads the three-dimensionaldesign from the data file and lays down successive layers of powder,liquid or sheet material to build the three dimensional object. Thelayers are joined together by the fabrication equipment, for instance, ahigh powered laser may be used, to form the three dimensional object ofthe design. Such rapid manufacturing techniques are generally known inthe art.

One particular process for forming articles that may be used inaccordance with aspects described herein is laser sintering. Thisprocess involves creating a three-dimensional design in a data file,such as a CAD file. The laser sintering fabrication equipment reads theCAD file and forms the three-dimensional object of the design, such asan upper or portion of an upper for an article of footwear, using a highpowered laser to fuse powders or small particles of plastic, metal orceramic. The laser selectively fuses powdered material by scanningcross-sections generated from a CAD file or a scan of the part on thesurface of a powder bed. After each cross-section is scanned, the powderbed is lowered by one layer thickness, a new layer of material isapplied on top, and the process is repeated until the part is completed.Laser sintering, and other rapid manufacturing processes are generallyknown in the art. One example system is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,697to Bourell et al. and is incorporated herein by reference.

Articles of footwear formed using rapid manufacturing additivefabrication techniques, and some formed using conventional methods,often require reinforcement at areas that experience flexing or heavywear or stress. Accordingly, reinforcement portions may be formed toprolong the usable life of the article of footwear by reinforcing theregion prone to weakening, tearing, etc. For instance, FIG. 2illustrates one example article of footwear 200 including reinforcementportions 202, 204. As shown, the article of footwear 200 generallyincludes an upper 206 forming a void for receiving a foot of a wearer.In addition, the shoe 200 includes a sole structure 208 that may includea midsole 210 and an outsole 212. In some examples, the sole structure208 may be formed using conventional methods, such as molding, etc. Inother arrangements, the sole structure 208 may be formed using one ormore rapid manufacturing additive fabrication techniques. Forming thesole structure 208 using rapid manufacturing techniques may permitcomplex shapes to be formed, some of which may be impossible to formusing conventional manufacturing techniques. Also, forming the solestructure 208 using rapid manufacturing techniques may better allow forcustomization of the sole structure 208, because the foot of a wearermay be scanned and the sole structure 208 may be manufactured based onthe scan of the wearer's foot.

The upper 206 may also be formed using conventional manufacturingtechniques or rapid manufacturing additive fabrication techniques. Thearticle of footwear 200 of FIG. 2 also includes a plurality of eyelets203. In some arrangements, the upper 206 formed using rapidmanufacturing techniques may benefit from reinforcement of the eyeletregions of the article 200. Accordingly, eyelet reinforcement portions202 may be formed and connected to the upper 206 using known means ofattachment, such as stitching, adhesives, mechanical fasteners, and thelike. For instance, eyelet reinforcement 202 may be formed using rapidmanufacturing techniques and connected to the eyelet region 203 of theupper 206 in order to reinforce the eyelets 203 to accommodate a lace orother closure system (not shown). In another example, the eyeletsreinforcements 202 may be formed from conventional material (e.g.,plastic, metal, leather, textile, etc.) and/or from conventionalmanufacturing techniques such as molding, extrusion, etc. The eyeletreinforcements 202 may then be connected to the eyelets 203 formed inthe upper 206 as a post-manufacturing processing step using known meansof attachment, such as stitching, adhesives, mechanical fasteners,crimped metal ring structures, mating snap fit components on thereinforcement and the upper, and the like.

The article of footwear 200 of FIG. 2 also includes a reinforcement 204configured at a toe region of the article of footwear 200. In somearrangements, the toe region may be considered a high wear region due toa wearer's toe pushing on the inner side of the toe region during use.Accordingly, a regional reinforcement structure, such as reinforcement204, may be positioned in that region to aid in preventing holes,tearing, etc. The toe region reinforcement 204 may be formed fromconventional materials, such as textile, leather, and the like, or itmay be formed using a rapid manufacturing additive fabrication techniqueand associated materials. Using a rapid manufacturing technique to formthe reinforcement 204 may permit variations in the thickness of thereinforcement in various regions of the reinforcement. For instance, thereinforcement may be thinner at the rear of the toe region (i.e., closerto the midfoot region of the shoe) rather than at the front of the toeregion to provide additional support at the front of the shoe.

Further, the shape, size, thickness, etc. of the reinforcement 204 maybe customized for a particular wearer. That is, the gait or step cycleand characteristics of the wearer may be studied in order to determinewhere additional reinforcement may be needed and the reinforcement 204may be constructed to those specifications using one or more rapidmanufacturing additive fabrication techniques or, in some arrangements,conventional manufacturing techniques. As one more specific example, forpersons that tend to over-pronate during their steps, additionalstiffness and/or wear reinforcement may be provided in the lateral heelarea of the sole.

The toe region reinforcement 204 may be connected to the upper 206 usingknown means of attachment, such as adhesives, stitching, mechanicalfasteners, mating snap fit components on the reinforcement and theupper, and the like.

Additionally or alternatively, the vamp forefoot region includes a flexregion that may also benefit from reinforcement. For instance, FIG. 3illustrates an article of footwear 300 having a reinforcement 302extending along this flex region of the upper 306. The reinforcement 302may be formed of conventional materials and/or conventionalmanufacturing techniques, or may be formed using a rapid manufacturingadditive fabrication technique and associated materials. Thereinforcement 302 may be formed as part of the initial rapidmanufacturing process to fabricate the article of footwear 300, or itmay be formed as a separate piece that may be connected or attached tothe upper 306 using known means of attachment, such as adhesives,stitching, mechanical fasteners, mating snap fit components on thereinforcement and the upper, and the like. The reinforcement 302 may beformed to permit flexing of the article of footwear 300 in that region,while providing additional durability and wear resistance in the highstress area of the shoe 300 (for example, when jumping, crouching,etc.).

FIG. 4 illustrates yet another article of footwear 400 having areinforced region 402. As with the arrangements above, the upper 406 andsole structure 408 of the article of footwear 400 may be formed usingconventional materials and conventional manufacturing techniques, orthey may be formed using one or more rapid manufacturing additivefabrication techniques and associated materials. However, the collarregion 402 of the article of footwear 400 is often a region thatreceives heavy wear and may be likely to tear, wear down, etc.Accordingly, reinforcement in the collar region 402 may prolong theusable life of the shoe 400.

In some arrangements, the upper 406 of an article of footwear 400 may beformed using one or more rapid manufacturing additive fabricationtechniques. A collar reinforcement 404 may be formed separately (eitherfrom conventional materials and processes or rapid manufacturingmaterials and processes) and connected to the upper 406 to provideadditional wear resistance. Additionally, because the collar region 402may be an area that can rub and cause irritation on the wearer's skin,the collar reinforcement 404 also may include a soft foam, fabric, orother comfort-enhancing material. The collar reinforcement 404 may beattached to the upper 406 using known means of attachment includingstitching, adhesives, mechanical fasteners, and the like. In somearrangements, the collar reinforcement 404 may include a snap fitmechanism that mates with a corresponding snap fit mechanism configuredin the collar region 402 of the upper 406.

In addition to providing added strength, wear resistance, comfort, etc.,the reinforcements described above may also add various design elementsto the article of footwear. For instance, the reinforcements may includeone or more colors or color schemes to complement the color or colorsused in the upper or other portions of the shoe. Additionally oralternatively, the reinforcements may be shaped to provide acomplimentary design element to the shoe structure. In somearrangements, the reinforcements may be shaped to include a logo (suchas a team logo, mascot, etc.) or a company trademark. In somearrangements, the properties of one region may transition into theproperties of another region.

Further, resin (colored or uncolored) may be brushed, painted, sprayed,etc. onto various regions of an article of footwear formed using rapidmanufacturing techniques to provide additional aesthetic enhancement, aswell as additional durability to regions of high wear and/or stress. Theresin may be brushed onto the shoe after the shoe has been formed, as apost-fabrication processing step. The process may include resins ofvarying colors, etc. in order to enhance the appearance of the shoewhile providing added durability to various regions of the shoe or tothe entire shoe, as desired. Various resins that may be used andtechniques for applying the resin are discussed more fully in U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/255,496, entitled “Articles and Methodsof Manufacture of Articles” to which this application claims priorityand which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In addition to the reinforcement portions and techniques describedabove, an article of footwear may be formed using more than one materialduring a rapid manufacturing additive fabrication process. For instance,the article of footwear may be formed from a single design fileincluding the design, specifications, etc. of the shoe. During rapidmanufacturing of the shoe, using a single type of rapid manufacturingprocess, multiple materials may be used to provide differentcharacteristics or properties to different regions of the shoe.

For instance, the article of footwear 500 in FIG. 5 may be formed usingone or more rapid manufacturing additive fabrication techniques. Thelayer-by-layer process used to fabricate the shoe 500 may includedifferent materials for different regions of the shoe 500. For instance,additional flexibility may be desired in a toe region 502 of the shoe500, while additional stiffness may be desired in the lateral side 504and medial side (not shown) of the upper 506 being formed. Materialsproviding these differing properties may be used in the same rapidmanufacturing additive fabrication technique. For instance, a layer ofthe powder being fused may include a first material in one area orportion of the article and a second material, different from the firstmaterial, in another area or portion of the article. Accordingly, two ormore different materials may be used to form, from a single rapidmanufacturing process, the shoe 500 having the desired properties. Insome examples, portions of the article of footwear may be formed using athermoplastic elastomer, such as DuraForm Flex plastic manufactured andsold by 3D Systems, or other similar materials, such as manufactured byAdvanced Laser Materials, LLC (e.g., ALM Flex) and Evonk Industries(e.g., Evonik Soft Touch), various powders, any generally plastic-likematerial, and the like.

In still other arrangements, the rapid manufacturing additivefabrication technique used to manufacturing the article may include alaser having varying intensities, such that higher or lower intensitiesmay be used when forming various regions of the article of footwear. Forinstance, with further reference to FIG. 5, the toe region 502 may befused using a laser of lower intensity in order to maintain theflexibility of the material in that region. However, a higher intensitylaser may be used to fuse the material of the lateral side 504 andmedial side of the upper 506 in order to provide additional stiffnessand support in those regions. This arrangement using lasers of varyingintensities in different regions of the foot may be performed usingvarious known rapid manufacturing additive fabrication techniques.Further, various lasers may be used to manufacture the articles. In somearrangements, a 50 watt carbon dioxide DEOS Class IV laser may be used.

In other arrangements, regions in which additional hardening would bedesired, such as the eyelet region (203 of FIG. 2), may be fused with ahigher intensity laser than other regions of the shoe. This may aid inreinforcing the eyelet region of the article.

Varying the intensity of the laser may permit further customization ofthe article of footwear. For instance, varying the intensity of thelaser used in fabricating various regions of the shoe may alter thedensity, stiffness, etc. of the shoe such that the article being formedmay be “tuned” to desired specifications. These specifications may beunique to one or more identified users. This arrangement provides theability to alter the properties of the article for each shoe fabricated,if desired, without requiring costly molds to be manufactured in orderto produce the articles.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate yet another arrangement of a portion of anarticle of footwear that may be formed using one or more rapidmanufacturing additive fabrication techniques. FIG. 6A illustrates a topview of a midsole 600 of an article of footwear. The midsole 600generally includes a plurality of apertures 602 distributed throughout atop surface 604. The apertures 602 may extend through a portion of themidsole 600 or may extend completely through the midsole 600 from thetop surface 604 to a bottom surface 606. FIG. 6B is a cross section ofthe midsole 600 of FIG. 6A taken along line A-A. The figure illustratesone example in which the apertures 602 extend partially through themidsole 600. The midsole 600 may be formed using one or more rapidmanufacturing additive fabrication techniques. Using these techniqueswill allow any number, shape, arrangement, size, etc. of apertures to beformed in the midsole 600. For instance, larger or smaller apertures maybe formed, apertures of varying shapes including square, rectangular,triangular, trapezoidal, hexagonal, etc. may be formed, the pattern ofapertures may vary depending on the region of the midsole, etc.

FIG. 6B further includes an insole member 610. The insole member 610includes a base 612 and a plurality of projections 614. The projections614 are formed of a shape and size to correspond to the apertures 602formed in the midsole 600. The insole member 610 and projections 614 mayprovide additional impact attenuation, support, comfort, etc. for thewearer. The insole member 610 may be formed using a rapid manufacturingadditive fabrication technique or by conventional techniques.

In some arrangements, the size, arrangement, etc. of the apertures 602and corresponding projections 614 may be customized to a particularuser. For instance, a scan of a wearer's foot may be taken andadditional impact attenuation may be provided in various regions basedon the results of the scan.

In still other arrangements, rapid manufacturing additive fabricationtechniques may be used to form inserts for airbags to be used in midsoleimpact attenuation systems. For instance, a midsole may include aninflated airbag formed of conventional materials. The airbag may includean insert to aid in maintaining the desired shape of the airbag. Forinstance, the insert may be attached to the airbag at various locationsin the bag interior to help control the shape of the airbag when it isinflated. The use of rapid manufacturing to fabricate the insert allowsthe insert to be customized to the needs and/or desires of the wearer,as well as to any desired size, shape, etc. in order to maintain thedesired shape of the airbag. FIG. 7 illustrates one example airbag 700including an insert 702 formed using one or more rapid manufacturingadditive fabrication techniques. The insert 702 may be sized, shaped,configured, etc. based on a user's desires, specifications based onfeatures of a user's foot, etc.

In still other arrangements, one or more structures arranged in themidsole to hold or fasten the airbag in place may be formed using one ormore rapid manufacturing additive fabrication techniques. For example,brackets, clips, grooves, frames, pockets, or other structures forsecuring the airbag that may be difficult or impossible to manufactureusing conventional methods of manufacture may be formed using rapidmanufacturing.

In still other arrangements, various parts may be manufactured usingrapid fabrication additive techniques inside of other parts formed fromthe same process. For instance, a small part may be manufactured insidea hollow cavity in a larger part to save time and materials. Thisprocess would be similar to Russian dolls with smaller dolls nestinginside larger ones. The CAD file created may include the design for thesmall part and the larger part and the part may be manufactured in oneprocess.

Further still, some articles manufactured using rapid fabricationadditive techniques may be formed in a collapsed condition in order toconserve space. For instance, similar to a paper bag that is storedcollapsed along various creases and fold lines, the articles may beformed using rapid manufacturing in a collapsed condition then expandedupon use.

For example, an article of footwear may be formed of a plurality ofinterlocking rings. The rings may vary in size in different regions ofthe article of footwear or may be the same size throughout. Duringmanufacture of the article, the rings may be formed in a collapsedcondition. That is, the rings may be formed in a stacked formation toproduce an article having a very compact shape. However, the rings maybe expanded upon opening or expansion of the article to provide thearticle in an expanded and/or usable condition.

Although the above arrangements have been described for use inmanufacturing articles of footwear, aspects of the invention may be usedwith a variety of articles including apparel, athletic equipment, suchas hockey sticks, shin guards, lacrosse sticks, shoulder pads, etc.,watch bands, jewelry, eye glasses, and the like.

The arrangements described above allow for customization of articlesbased on a user's specification, desires, etc. In addition, the use ofrapid manufacturing fabrication techniques to form various articlesminimizes material waste associated with manufacturing the article. Whenmanufacturing conventional articles, material is often trimmed from thearticle in order to obtain the desired size or shape of the article. Inthe method described herein, the three-dimensional design file can becreated having the particular desired dimensions of the article. Thearticle is then built to those particular dimensions. No additionalmaterial is created that may need to be removed to obtain the desiredsize and shape of the article.

CONCLUSION

While the invention has been described in detail in terms of specificexamples including presently preferred modes of carrying out theinvention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there arenumerous variations and permutations of the above described systems andmethods. Thus, the spirit and scope of the invention should be construedbroadly as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:
 1. An article of footwear, comprising: an upper configured toreceive a foot of a wearer; a sole structure, connected to the upper andincluding: an outsole configured to contact a surface, and a midsole,the midsole including a plurality of apertures formed in a top surface;and an insole, the insole being configured to mate with the midsole andincluding a plurality of projections configured to correspond to theapertures formed in the midsole; wherein the midsole and insole areformed using a rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique. 2.The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the upper is formed using arapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique.
 3. The article offootwear of claim 1, wherein the apertures extend partially through themidsole.
 4. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the aperturesextend through the midsole from a top surface to a bottom surface of themidsole.
 5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the aperturesand projections are configured to provide impact attenuation.
 6. Thearticle of footwear of claim 1, wherein the configuration of theapertures and projections is based on specifications of a user's foot.7. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the size of the aperturesand projections is based on specifications of a user's foot.
 8. Thearticle of footwear of claim 1, wherein the upper further includes atleast one reinforcement portion.
 9. The article of footwear of claim 8,wherein the at least one reinforcement portion is located in a toeregion of the upper.
 10. The article of footwear of claim 8, wherein theat least one reinforcement portion is located in a collar region of theupper.
 11. The article of footwear of claim 8, wherein the at least onereinforcement portion is located in an eyelet region of the upper. 12.The article of footwear of claim 8, wherein the reinforcement portion isformed using a non-rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique.13. The article of footwear of claim 8, wherein the reinforcementportion is formed using a rapid manufacturing additive fabricationtechnique.